Water gets murky when it stays in plumbing pipes

Q. I recently installed a pedestal sink in my half bath off my kitchen. Due to the sink bowl being larger and the pedestal having to set out further to support the bowl, the water was shut off in the basement for a month while the floor was chopped up for relocation of the drain and supply lines.

Upon reconnecting of these lines, all seems fine except that both hot and cold water run colored for 10 seconds. Is this normal and when will it stop and run clear immediately?

A. I am sure that by now you have found that the water is running clear. It is normal for water standing in lines and not used for a long time to run murky for a while. Perhaps you have old galvanized pipes, which may be rusty inside.